First, let me clarify what the 8th House is really about. Yes, it’s associated with sex, but it involves much more than that. The natural ruler of this house is Scorpio, so it represents instinct and forces beyond our control (such as loss and merging). It’s known as the house of shared resources like taxes, debts, loans, inheritance and the partner’s finances. It is also the area of the chart that magnetizes certain people towards us. Everything about this house involves sharing control with another; it is a window into our deepest fears, desires and anxieties.

The Eighth is not a lightweight house to begin with. Throw Saturn in there and things can get really heavy. Saturn in the 8th can manifest as a fear of getting close to someone, fear of losing control or, conversely, the desire to control another. Like all the water houses, it has connections to the past. Saturn in the 8th can indicate ideas inherited from the family that sex is “wrong.”

The good news is that all this intensity is the key to transformation. People with Saturn in the 8th take intimacy very seriously. They can work to transform (Scorpio) their fears (Saturn). Because the 8th is the doorway to their deepest psychological secrets, once this transformation happens, the effect can be mind-blowing. Let’s look at a few examples.

Saturn in Pisces in the 8th: Transcendence

Pisces’ lack of ego mixed with Saturn’s lack of confidence can mean an avoidance of sex altogether. Pisces is not the most realistic sign, so this person can end up disguising her fear as celibacy. She may convince herself that she doesn’t need to be intimate with someone because she is above all that. She attracts others who are physically unavailable: someone who is ill or restricted in some way from having sex. The silver lining is Pisces’s healing capacity. When placed in the house of instinct, the potential for transformational healing is great. The benefits of therapy are most easily accessed with this combination; avoidance of reality is transformed into the transcendence of fears.

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Nadia Gilchrist offers 15 years of experience in Evolutionary and Traditional astrology. Her writings and personal consultations focus on applying astrology and tarot readings with a clear, practical approach to the real world. Nadia blogs regularly at Ruby Slipper Astrology.

What a lovely interpretation of Saturn in Leo, and very positive! LOL! I’ve got Leonine Saturn and Moon in the 8th, and have been surprised by how often men seem to want to cast me in the role of dominatrix and how often I end up with the “baby” of the family who’s looking for a big sister/ mother figure. What I’ve read, observed and experienced is that wherever you find Saturn, you might find an area of strength and mastery if the native has purposely worked to build skill in that area of life. All too often, people avoid 8th house matters altogether as much as possible, and Saturn’s not a barrel of laughs anyway, so I can see how often that placement would lead to a deep-freeze below the belt. In my case, with the assist from my Moon (not conjunct Saturn– hallelujiah!), and the Sun in the 1st, I’ve had what I needed to work constructively in this area. I’m very private about my sex life and don’t discuss it with colleagues, classmates or 99% of my friends. It would violate the trust my partner had in me when making himself vulnerable. I want the bedroom to be a safe space, not unlike a therapist’s office or a confessional. I take my responsibility seriously in this area. I also treat the tarot readings I give in a similar way because I feel the client can’t have the full benefit of a reading without absolute security that our conversation is private. I can go long periods of time celibate and had a long distance relationship for 3+ years in my late teens- early 20’s. I have been experimentally impulsive in the past, but it was a short phase that ended suddenly when I met someone who fulfilled some of my deepest needs and didn’t resume even though that someone didn’t turn out to be a long-term relationship. For me, even if I act impulsively or go to bed with someone new early, there’s nothing casual about sex, and I feel like it wasn’t successful if it wasn’t a deep exchange, entirely regardless of whether it’s happening within a partnership or not. Hope these insights contribute something.

@gemster:
Yes, Capricorn in the 8th is similar to having Saturn in the 8th. Your Saturn conjunct Chiron in Aries in the 11th would involve insecurities about your sense of self in groups. Issues around forming friendships and independence. Think about what happens when you are out in public. How do you relate to groups?
Taking these issues back to the 8th, you might look at how fears about loss of independence or not belonging play out with one other person.
Chiron always adds another layer because it points to your greatest vulnerabilities.

@EcritureFemme:
Thank you. 🙂
Sounds like your Moon presents the emotional key needed to make your 8th House Saturn work. It’s fantastic to read about someone using this very challenging energy positively. Interesting about that Sun in the 1st….it’s right up front in your chart so it helps to pull all that hidden 8th House stuff out in the open (for you, psychologically).

My saturn is ruled by aqaruis, it’s in my eighth house and my moon is in the 8th house too,(my moon sign is also aqurais) I also noticed that my sig. other and I have a composite scorpio in the 8th house
any thoughts?

When Saturn transited my eighth house a few years ago, my sex life was non-existent. My libido was there, but like the article suggests, I wanted REAL sex, which was very difficult to find. Casual encounters just wouldn’t do.

I have saturn in leo in the 8th. I’ve always been single most of my life. I crave independence like the air I breathe and never want to take the risk of someone controlling me. So I figure if I stay single that would never happen..LOL I guess I have 8th house saturn to thank for this..

I have Saturn in Scorpio in the 8th. I am wondering how that is supposed to play out. I had one controlling boyfriend for 7 years. I am in a much better relationship now but I enjoy being submissive in bed with him. These things could always be from other factors though. I am just curious on how it should be interpreted because it sounds super heavy with Scorpio being thrown in there.

I have 8th house Saturn in Gemini and what is written is very true. My sexual confidence was wrecked by an insensitive sh*t bag when I was 18 years of age, he was 10 years my senior. It was just a few words that made me feel I was basically crap in bed and I turned it into a lifetimes self fulfilling prophecy, I completely closed down and really struggle with intimacy. Thought I was getting a handle on it and getting more confident and then lo and behold partner of 10 years cheats on me, refer to above. Not a nice placement really. I’ve also got mars in Capricorn, so there’s probably no hope for me.

Hey Nadia, I have Saturn in Libra, in the 8th house. and Pluto in the 8th house too. My 8th house ruler Venus is in my 12th house. Doesn’t sound like a very happy combination 🙁
what does it mean, Nadia?

I have Saturn in cancer in 8 house and moon in 8 house too. No other planet in 8 house. I want yo know it’s implications on my sex life that has been pretty down in the dumps! how can it improve? Thanks.

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